Sundance Rocks: Seven Must-See Concerts

Check out our picks of the film fest's hottest gigs, from the Roots and Snoop to Lou Reed and St. Vincent.

Sundance isn’t just about indie-film screenings anymore – plenty of top musicians invade Park City, Utah, to perform intimate shows at local hotspots like HarryO’s. And with so many music documentaries premiering at the fest in 2011, surprise collaborations are sure to happen (see: Joan Jett rocking with The Runaways stars last year). Check out our picks of the top scheduled shows – from Lou Reed and St. Vincent to Lauryn Hill and the Roots – below:

Snoop Dogg, January 20 at HarryO’sExpect Snoop, backed by a full live band, to preview tunes from his March album The Doggumentary, plus dip into his Nineties classics. Lil Jon will heat up the crowd with a DJ set. [HarryO’s]

Manchester Orchestra, January 21 at Sundance ASCAP Music CaféThe Georgia indie-rockers will likely play new tunes from theirMarch album at this intimate showcase. Expect some raging, gale-forceanthems: frontman Andy Hull has said the songs were inspired by Pixies, Neil Young, and Built to Spill.Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter shares the bill. [Sundance ASCAP Music Café]

KT Tunstall, January 22 at The YardThe Scottish rocker – who has delivered a killer cover of LCDSoundsystem’s “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” in thepast – is headlining a charity benefit for Robert F. Kennedy’sWaterkeeper Alliance. Tickets are reasonably priced for the cause: $50for general admission entry. [Waterkeeper Alliance]

The Roots, January 22 at HarryO’sHip-hop’s best band will rock the after-party for the new documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: the Travels of A Tribe Called Quest. Could a Tribe reunion – their first since breaking up in 1998 – also be in the works? [HarryO’s]

Lou Reed, January 23 at the Sundance HouseThe Velvet Underground frontman is giving a rare live performance at the Celebration of Music in Film panel, which will also feature opening act Tin Hat. The event is one of the most anticipated of the fest: Past performers have included Patti Smith, Mos Def, and 2007 Sundance breakouts the Swell Season. [Celebration of Music in Film]Lauryn Hill, January 26 at HarryO’sThe reclusive singer, whose recent sets have dipped into Fugees cuts plus covers of classics like “I Only Have Eyes for You,” is having one helluva comeback year. Catch her in an intimate setting before she hits the festival circuit – although expect to wait a few hours. Hill has notoriously shown up late to her recent East Coast gigs. [HarryO’s]

St. Vincent, Autumn Defense, and Nicole Atkins, January 27 at Sundance ASCAP Music CaféThe all-star bill features the coolest indie lineup of the fest, with St. Vincent’s Annie Clark delivering quirky guitar-centric pop, Pat Sansone and John Stirrat performing with their Wilco side-project Autumn Defense, and torchy singer Nicole Atkins, who will deliver songs from her new album Mondo Amore. [Sundance ASCAP Music Café ]

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